Issue 14 June 2008

Greetings from abdi
abdi ltd has a depth of experience unique in the UK in impact measurement and ROI studies to assess investment in human capital. abdi ltd undertakes external evaluations and trains key individuals in private and public sector organisations to measure return on investment in HR interventions of all sorts including learning and development, change programmes and international assignments. Check out our website www.abdi.eu.com





A first for professionals - the Six Sigma of human capital!

abdi ltd are delighted to announce that in June, participants on the open-booking two day programme will be the first to be able to achieve the ROI Foundation Course awarded by Awards UK and abdi ltd on behalf of the ROI Institute™.

Commenting on this initiative, Jane Massy, CEO of abdi ltd, noted, "This is a major milestone in the professionalisation of human capital activities in the UK. The measurement of business impact and value of human capital investments requires a foundation of structured knowledge,  skills ranging from data analysis to business communication,  and  new standards of performance from the profession. The demand for these skills has grown rapidly in recent years and our growth has demonstrated that we can now confirm the ROI Institute methodology™ as THE professional standard.

"This is the first in a ladder of awards we are developing with Awards UK and rolling out during 2008. By the year end, those participating in our workshops and working with us on robust ROI case studies will be able to gain formal recognition here in the UK for one of the most critical aspects of the work of HR and L&D professionals - aligning investment with business metrics and reporting on credible business impact results and value up to and including ROI."

John Dick, Awards UK Director, added, "We are delighted to be working with abdi and the Institute on developing a suite of awards. This is the first and it will be followed by others which will provide ongoing recognition as the knowledge and skills of those using the ROI methodology™ develop over time.

"There is a clear link between qualifications, as a measure of capability and competence, and the Phillips and Kirkpatrick levels used in the methodology.

"The availability of these qualifications should ensure any organisation employing or purchasing the services of a qualified person can do so with confidence."


Masterclass with the global leader of the ROI Institute™

It is still just possible to book a place on our forthcoming Masterclass on Scorecards - reporting business impact and value from your HR investments. The Masterclass will be delivered by Jack Phillips and Jane Massy in London on 16th June  - there are only a couple of places left so you will need to register quickly. You can do so through our website or by calling Diane at 01223 360240.


Measuring impact and value in outsource contracts

Are you accountable for managing an outsourced contract for learning services? Would you be interested in a comparative study on the metrics that organisations are using to measure outsource suppliers' performance?

Our May newsletter mentioned a survey that the members of the ROI Advanced Practitioner group launched at their spring meeting. The topic of the survey is the key issue of managing outsourced contracts for learning services. The Advanced Practitioners would now like to open up participation in this survey to other interested organisations.

The study requires about two hour's time of a senior HR/L&D contract manager for a questionnaire and telephone interview. Participants will receive results in October.

To register interest and for further details click here.


Impact of economy on investment in L&D 

We are hearing mixed stories from our client base these days. Some (the ones with the ear of the CEO/CFO perhaps) are seeing no change in their budgets but strong pressure to help the business deliver in these challenging times and to demonstrate how they are delivering to the bottom line. Sadly, we have also received a couple of calls from people that have not learned to report business impact and value and are now feeling chill winds. Advice from Jane Massy: "Do not leave it to late - if you are being asked to report ROI on existing investments and have not planned your data collection on selected metrics from the start, it may be too late. Retroactive evaluation, even if possible, is usually not credible!"


Autumn workshops

Booking is open for two-day workshops in September and November and the next three-day Certification workshop in November. It only takes a moment to register online.

You are advised to book early as these workshops tend to be very popular.

Remember all future two- day workshops will offer the opportunity to complete assessment for the new ROI Foundation award and the November three-day will be the first opportunity to complete assessment for the ROI Practitioner award. If you would prefer these workshops to be run in house, the awards can also be achieved for all those completing the assessments successfully. If you would like to discuss an in-house workshop, please contact us.


New workshop/coaching packages available

We are learning that a lot of our clients find a package of workshops plus an agreed level of coaching for execution of plans enables them to plan more effectively for implementation from the start. We have a variety of packages on offer so please do not hesitate to ask for details. We do not just want you to know what to do, we want to make sure we support you through implementation of the methodology as efficiently and effectively as possible!




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